New Beginnings
by mysticdragon2016
Summary: Follows Always there and A Tokyo ghoul Christmas. Hide and Kaneki have gotten married and attempt to make a life together
1. Chapter 1

Kaneki stood on the balcony gazing at the magnificent sight before him. He could hardly believe he had finally made it. The bright lights of various colors from the city below created a spectacular view and above all the iconic tower stood tall,brightly lit and majestic against the darkened sky. Never had the ghoul dreamed he would travel to the city or find himself on top of the structure looking down at Paris from high above its streets with Hide by his side.

True to his word, Hide had arranged the trip and offered Kaneki the chance of a lifetime. The pair had stayed in a beautiful hotel and had seen many sights during their stay which now, with great sadness, was coming to an end. They would be returning to Tokyo the following afternoon, this time however, their lives would be changed, the two had exchanged vows just days after arriving right in front of the tower.

The ghoul sighed, gazing down at the ring on his left hand. It had been a simple ceremony with both writing their own vows to each other and Hide had somehow managed to hire a photographer. Everything had been perfect.

Kaneki suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him, as Hide rested his head on his shoulder from behind.

"Hey beautiful, what are you doing out here?" Hide asked softly.

"Appreciating the view one last time, I won't get to see it all lit up like this again."

"I don't know about that. Maybe one day I'll be able to bring you back here,we'll do a little more sightseeing, take more pictures.."

"Couldn't we just stay, it's so beautiful and compared to home-"

"I'd love to do that for you,you know I'd like to give you everything, but right now-" Kaneki turned to him, draping his arms around Hide's neck,resting his forehead against his.

" I do know. I'm sorry. "

"Don't be,I understand why you feel that way. You've been so genuinely happy here, I don't think I've ever seen you smile that much,you should do it more often."

"I wish I could." Kaneki replied. "It was nice to forget for a while." Hide kissed him softly.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you through any of it." The human said sincerely.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened to me. You've always been my safe place. I can't remember a single time since we met that you weren't there. You've given me everything. I love you."

"I love you too,always and unconditionally, never forget that.'

" you won't let." Hide grinned.

"You're right, I won't" Hide's gentle hand found it's way to Kaneki's waist and pulled the ghoul closer. He pressed his lips to Kaneki's, deepening the affection, allowing the white haired ghoul's slender fingers to find their way to his hair.

When the newlyweds pulled away, Hide nuzzled him lovingly.

"Are you ready to go inside, we should probably get some sleep, we'll have a long day tomorrow. We don't want to be too tired to pack and everything."

"I guess we should." Kaneki agreed, taking a step past Hide, only for the blonde to gently grab his wrist.

"We didn't bring very much with us, we'll probably be able to get it together in...like an hour?" Kaneki nodded.

"Yeah. Why?" Hide pulled the doors shut and closed the blinds.

"I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"You'll see. Let's just go to bed, it's late " Hide guided him to the bed and turned down the covers.

Kaneki slid under the blanket,lying on his side.

"It's a little chilly over here." He complained. Hide smirked, moving closer.

"I can fix that, if you want." He offered.

"You know I never liked the cold."

"I know. Don't worry, Kaneki. You won't cold much longer."


	2. Chapter 2

Kaneki sighed,stepping off the plane behind Hide. Old frustrations were already resurfacing.

"You okay?" Hide pulled him close, making their way through the airport with their bags.

"I'll have to be." Hide stopped, turning to face him.

"I know you went through a lot here, I know you still have a hard time, we'll be okay." Hide assured him.

"I'm not really worried about me. I almost lost you too many time. The worst feeling I've ever had was carrying you down the street, not knowing if you'd ever-"

"Hey, I'm still here, Kaneki." Hide took the ghoul's left hand. "This is our new beginning, yeah bad stuff happened but we're here and I love you no matter what. We need to move past it or we're just going to drive ourselves crazy."

"I don't think I know how." Hide embraced him.

"The only way that can happen is to deal with it together. That's part of the reason we got the headsets for the phones, so we can talk through the day. It doesn't matter if I'm working or just out at the store, you call me if you need to. As long as the battery holds out, we're good, even then I'll switch it back to the phone. You deserve a chance to be happy." After several minutes, Hide kissed him lovingly before releasing him.

"Let's go home, we'll enjoy our last couple days before we have to get back to work, maybe we'll invite Touka and Yoriko over to see the wedding video and some pictures."

"Do you have to go back there?"

"Kaneki, we've been through this, yeah I have to."

"I don't like the idea of you being more of as target for-"

"I know you don't. It's gonna be fine. I need you to trust me."

"It's not you, I trust you, it's everyone else." It seemed to take longer than usual to reach their house. Kaneki attempted to push the unpleasant thoughts from his mind as Hide unlocked the door. He turned to Kaneki with a smile.

"This will be our first time walking into our house as a married couple." He announced. Seeing Hide's eyes light up instantly, hearing the excited tone, filled the ghoul's heart with joy, causing him to return the smile.

"That right there," Hide said softly, placing his palm on his husband's cheek. "I want you to feel this way all the time. The best gift you could ever give me is to be healthy, be happy and know you're my whole world."

"Hide-" The blond placed the luggage inside the door.

"Let's go inside, together."

"You're not going to-"

"I think we should."

"No one does that anymore, it's not even a thing now."

"It can be our thing." Hide insisted. "Come on, it's a one time thing."

"The neighbors-"

"When they get married they can do it too. Please?"

"You seriously want to do this?"

"Yep." Hide lifted Kaneki off his feet and into his arms.

"I can't believe you're doing this." Kaneki rested his head on Hide's shoulder. He allowed Hide to carry him into the entry way. Hide set him down gently.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It- you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't." Hide nuzzled Kaneki softly. "but it's only fair, you already carried me home."

"That was-"

"nothing short of amazing. You didn't have to do that either."

"I did. I couldn't let it happen, I love you too much to lose you." Hide leaned closer, his palm resting on the ghoul's cheek. Their lips mere inches from each other. the soft buzzing of their cellphones forced them apart. The picked up their devices and read the opened the message. Kaneki's eyes grew wide his face turned an embarrassed shade of red. There in front of him was the image of Hide carrying him into the house, just below the image was the caption

this'll make for an interesting conversation at work...see you Monday.

"Touka." Kaneki whispered, bowing his head. Hide chuckled. "I'll never hear the end of it."

"It's fine, she's just messing you. Anyway, it's a traditional thing, something to show you how much I love you. Let's get our stuff unpacked and then we can relax for the day. I can think of a couple things for us to do together."

"like what?"

"you'll see." Hide smirked picking up the bags, Kaneki followed shaking his head.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning this chapter maybe a bit...suggestive.

Kaneki pulled on his robe pushing open the door and allowing the cool air to hit him. It had been a long day at the coffee shop,enduring Touka's teasing.

 _Kaneki sighed,entering Touka's shop to find the usual crowd seated at the tables,most smirking silently._

 _"Hey, you made it," Tonka greeted setting a coffee up down. "I wasn't sure if you needed me to carry you in or you suddenly remembered how to use your legs." She teased. The customers chuckled lightly._

 _Kaneki nodded. "New beginning." He told himself, moving behind the counter._

 _"Keep going, Touka, but just so you know, it doesn't bother me." He said._

 _" Wow, that was almost convincing. "_

 _"You know what else, The more I think about it,I can see a deeper meaning in what Hide did. So have your fun." He added calmly. Touka fell silent. It was Kaneki's turn to smirk._

 _"Nothing else to say?" He asked._

 _"So the new you knows how to play." Tonka out an arm around him. "It's early, you don't clock out until this evening. How long can you stand the heat?"_

 _" all day. "_

 _"We'll see about that." She said, patting his shoulder. She leaned on close to his ear. " Congrats by the way and...welcome back." She continued her work, leaving Kaneki to his own._

 _"Gotta love your coworkers.." He thought out loud and true to her word, the taunts didn't end there._

He dropped onto the bed, curling up on his side and grabbing Hide's pillow,burying his face in it. The scent had a calming effect on the ghoul. He hated that Hide had a meeting tonight, preventing him from being home in Kaneki's arms.

Just as Kaneki closed his eyes, his phone rang. He sat up, grabbing the object, looking down at the display.

"Hide." He said softly . "Is everything okay?"

" Hey,Beautiful, everything's fine. I just wanted to hear your voice,that's all. You doing okay?" Kaneki laid back.

"I guess so. When are you coming home?"

"I'll be there soon, I told Amon I'm not going to stay for the whole thing. I miss you."

" miss you too. Do you want me to come and -"

"You don't have to, you spent all day working and I don't want you to feel like you have to stress yourself out by doing -"

" it stresses me out when you're not here and I haven't heard from you in a while. "Kaneki complained.

" I know, I'm sorry. I've been just sitting here listening to all this boring stuff. I didn't think you'd want to hang on the phone for that. When I get home,I'll make it up to you. "

"We're starting." Akira's voice called from the background.

"I'll be right there." Hide replied . "I'm sorry,I have to get back in there. I'll see at home."

"I don't like the idea of you walking back this late, some of the.. Others wait for the dark before-"

"I'll be fine."

" until you're not. "

"Kaneki, remember what we talked about -"

"New beginnings mean letting go, I know. But it's not safe and -"

" I love you so much.I'll see you soon. "

"Hide-" The call ended,leaving Kaneki to deal with the returning anxiety. He was about to toss the phone onto the bed when he received a text.

 _I'll make sure he gets home. Don't worry,I know how hard it can be. Akira._

Kaneki drew in a breath.

 _Thank you._ He knew he wouldn't be able to relax until his husband was home. Kaneki grabbed the blanket and Hide's pillow,making his way to the living room. He took the remote from the coffee table before curling up on the sofa and skimming through the channels. He suddenly realized the extent of his fatigue which gave him no choice but to give in.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but woke to a gentle hand,brushing against his cheek.

"Hide," The ghoul said sleepily placing a hand on Hide's. The blond smiled.

"Hey Beautiful,didn't mean to wake you. Are you feeling okay?"

" Better, your pillow helped,but it's not you. "

"I know,I'm sorry. I'm here now,it's okay." Hide lead down, kissing Kaneki.

"Since you are up," Hide continued . "You remember Aizawa and Misora?"

" The two that were there when we met with Akira and Amon? "

"Yeah. The guys that thanked you for saving them the night of the raid."

" what about them? "Kaneki sat up,yawning.

"Well, before we left for our wedding, they heard me ask for the couple weeks and today as I was leaving, they stopped and gave me a couple gifts. Akira and Amon got us something too I guess." Kaneki shook his head.

"It's weird how that worked out. Our interactions with them and everything."

" Yeah,I guess it kinda is. By the way, they finally set a date for theirs. June thirteen. "

"That doesn't give them much time to plan." Kaneki commented as Hide took one of white boxes from the floor and placed it on Kaneki's lap.

" Well they don't really have many people to go. Am on said it's just a few select people. Kind of like ours only it's not just going to be the two of them the they way we did. "

"We'll have to get them something,they've been nice to us,all things considered." Kaneki opened the tag on the gift.

"From Reye and his family." He announced.

"Ready?" Hide asked ,placing his hands on the lid.

"Yeah."The couple opened the box to reveal two sets of sheets. Kaneki lifted the first out,examining it.

"These are great." The ghoul said. "This material...it's that Egyptian cotton we were talking about. These are supposed to be really soft."

" these other ones are different,they're..sateen. You ever hear about those? "

"They're like satin, but more durable and made from cotton. They're supposed to be really good." They set the sheets back in the box and set it aside.

"Next one's from Misora." Hide said , again they opened the gift together.

"Pesonaized wine glasses, and champagne flutes. They're beautiful." Kaneki said,he had always had a fondness for the glasses. Hide pulled out a small piece of paper.

"Here's to you in honor of your union,may it be filled with eternal love and happiness." Hide read. "Looks like Amon and Akira got us a couple gift cards. This one's for you." Kaneki took the card from him and examined it carefully. A yellow square of paper had been taped to the back.

 _Koutarou and I just wanted to thank you for your help. We wouldn't be making the progress we have toward our goal without you. Please enjoy this gift as a sign of out gratitude._

"Book store gift card, that was really thoughtful. "

"Yeah, I got one for music downloads. That's really cool for them to do that." Hide said ,pulling out a card from the envelope.

"Seriously?" He said .

"What is it?"

" they gave us an invitation to their wedding. There's no way we're going. "

"Why not?" Kaneki questioned .

"They're probably inviting people from work, I don't like the idea of you in a building full of-"

"You do realize that when we meet with them,I walk into a building full of investigators and when they send me to medical for those tests to try to come up with a way to make sure I don't get sick like I was before -"

" I still don't like it. "Kaneki took his hand.'

" I know...New beginning,right? " Hide sighed.

"Yeah. You're right. They're helping me take better care of you. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried...But not everyone there is okay with their project, they still think all ghouls are-"

"They don't have to like it,but we're working toward a better future and that's what matters. You'll never be able to convince everyone." Hide nodded.

" you're amazing,did you know that? "

"If I am, it's because you showed me how to be." Hide kissed Kaneki, placing a hand softly on his cheek, deepening the affection and leaning him back against the pillow. He moaned softly into the kiss. Pulling off his jacket. Kaneki pulled away,smiling up at him. He gently pressed a hand to Hide's chest, again pushing himself up. He stood beginning to walk away.

"Dude-"

"It's late, I have work in the morning."

" so do I, but-"

"Shouldn't have been so late,grab the blanket on your way to bed." He called over his shoulder.

"You're really going to go to bed aren't you?" The blond said in disbelief. The ghoul smirked,disappearing into the bedroom.

"Not cool,man." Hide said softly. He grabbed his pillow and sighed.

"A-are you messing with me?" He called.

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Kaneki shouted back. "Stop yelling through the house, we have neighbors." Hide scoffed.

"Yep, you're just gonna go to sleep." He made his way into the bedroom and closed the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"He's the most beautiful person in the world,just look at that smile. He's amazing." Hide proudly showed the image on his screen. Kaneki smiled at the camera, his usual black shirt was replaced with a white shirt and black vest.

"Our wedding wasn't super formal or anything but we wanted to get some nice pictures. You have to see the ones the photographer took of us in the rose garden, they had this foot bridge with this beautiful pond. Kaneki is just stunning." Kenzo chuckled.

"I remember being like that when I first got married.I'll give you some advice. As time goes on, and things settle down, a lot of the time,the feeling you have now that everything's all shiny and new fades. Don't let that happen. That's when the trouble starts,you fall into a routine and get stuck. It doesn't have to be that way. It's usually the little things that matter most. Keep the romance between you alive. Just because you have him, doesn't mean you should stop working to keep him."

"I promised him he'd always know he's loved and I 'll keep that promise. we'll have some struggles along the way, everyone does,but I know we'll be there for each other,we always have been. Kaneki is my heart."

" we're happy for you,Hide." Hide beamed proudly.

"I guess now you'll be able to join in the little club we got going." Kenzo draped an arm over the younger man's shoulder.

"He's in there." Akira's voice said from the hall. "And I'm glad you were able to get back to me so quickly. It makes what little planning we do have easier."

"We appreciate the invitation,If I can help in anyway, I'm happy to do it." Kaneki's voice replied.

"Thank you, I could use some help with a few things this weekend if you don't mind."

" I'll talk to Hide,I don't think we have anything planned, but I'll get in touch with you later today or tomorrow. " Hide stood up as the ghoul pushed open the door and stepped inside. He greeted Kaneki with a kiss, pulling him into his arms.

"Hey, Beautiful, what are you doing here?"

"You forgot something this morning." Kaneki reached into his pocket, pulling out a small thin object. "I wanted you to be able to go to lunch with your friends today, so I thought I'd drop it off. I also wanted to give Akira our rsvp."

"So you walked-"

"All the way here to bring you our bank card so you can have a little enjoyment during your lunch break, on my day off. I know,it's crazy. Now you can't say I don't love you, like..ever." Kaneki teased. Hide rested his head against Kaneki 's.

" you're the best,you know that don't you?"

"That's what you've been telling me. Try to be home on time today. I'm on my way to the store so you can have dinner tonight, do you want me to get you anything specific?"

"Anything is fine. Just be careful, okay?"

"You better be too.I love you."

"Love you too." Kaneki turned to leave. Kenzo smirked.

"Guess you're right, He is pretty incredible. My wife would've told me one of two things, to come home and get it myself or it's too damn bad. You win this round,Hide." Kaneki stopped and turned back to Hide.

"You tell them that?" He asked.

"It's just the truth." the blond human replied. " And for the record, it's not like we have a competition or anything, but if it was -"

"He's always going on about you. Any chance he gets it's always 'Kaneki is the most amazing person ever' and 'He still makes dinner even though he doesn't eat it, if he's home first It's there waiting. Let's not forget yesterday's argument." Hide's face turned a slightly embarrassed red. Indicating that the teasing was in fact true.

"Hide-"

"I can't help it if I love you more than anything else in the world. In my defense though, everyone was talking about their families. I'm very proud of my husband so if I take the opportunity to express that why not. anyway I can't be held responsible for those conversations. I mean it's totally your fault for being so amazing the first place. Think about it,if you weren't you, would I have anything to add to the lunchtime discussion at all?" Kaneki shook his head.

"Sometimes I think your opinion of me is too high."

"Or maybe yours is just too low,we'll have to do something about that. Either way, it doesn't change anything, I still love you more than you know. I'll call you soon. I miss you when you're not with me." Hide moved closer to Kaneki, embracing him.

"All the more reason to come home on time."

'I'll be there, earlier if I can."

"Promise to try?"

"I promise." Hide vowed. After one more kiss, Kaneki left and Hide returned to his friend. The two men were soon joined by Reye and Amon.

"Let's start the meeting, I know I was a little late,so we'll cut it as short as we can and break for lunch. "Amon sat down next to Hide. "How was the wedding?" Hide grinned.

"Amazing. I got some pictures if you're interested. Maybe I can bring in the videos another time."

"We'll have to find Akira before you leave, she was going to ask the other day and got sidetracked."

"It wasn't anything big. It was pretty much just the vows, ring exchange and pictures. Paris was absolutely beautiful, but Kaneki...Nothing could have been more beautiful than that smile." He pulled out his phone, allowing Amon to view the image.

"So Eye patch does know how to smile after all ."

"It's Kaneki and isn't he beautiful?" Amon raised his eyebrows ."how can you not love-"

"You do understand that not everyone will love your ghoul or accept him the way you do? " Hide sighed,shaking his head.

"Yeah, I know...there's a ton of crazies out there." Hide replied, earning a chuckle from his coworkers. Even Amon couldn't hide the faint smile of amusement as it crept onto his face.

"Wait a couple years,things change when you've been married a while." Reye said.

"When I was a kid,my parents gave me the best piece of advice in the world." Hide began . "They told me to marry my best friend. It starts with a solid foundation and marriage is built on it. The love changes as it grows,but at least you know that the one you choose to build your future with won't let it you fall. Sometimes the tower shakes, but you can't let it fall. Kaneki's been helping me keep it together for a long time. I know in my heart he'll never let me fall. Our tower only gets stronger. It's kind of funny. I never told them, but I think they knew what he means to me." Hide grinned. "They always did love him."

"Parents have a way of knowing sometimes."

"I almost didn't ask him. I was always too afraid he'd say no. I'd rather be the best friend than lose him, you know?"

"Yeah. Proposals can be tough." Kenzo said. "You never really know what they'll say. But it looks like you've got a lot to look forward to with your tower...building...thing. My wife-"

"Can we get through this meeting, please?" Amon asked.

"Yeah, sorry." Hide said turning his attention back to Amon.

"It's fine to have these discussions off the clock, but I really need you to be professional in here. Everyday you have these arguments and while I commend you for reigning it in most of the time-" Kenzo smirked.

"That's right, you'll be joining us soon,boss. Big day's coming up. I almost forgot."

"While I appreciate that offer, I doubt any of you would find enjoyment from me constantly-"

"Come on, A little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone. Hide's been with us for a little over a week, he enjoys it. Anyway, so far he's been winning every damn time. It's about time someone came along and kicked him of the throne." Hide scoffed.

"That's never gonna happen. I have something none of you could ever hope to have."

"What's that, Nagachika?" Amon asked. Hide grinned.

"The best husband ever. These guys have tried to dethrone me, I'm always up for a challenge Amon."

"I'm head of this decision, Nagachika. I don't have time for these games. Let's get to work now, we have a lot of ground to cover...and even if I did join your little...club, I wouldn't want to embarass you after you make all these claims and Akira knocks Eye Patch down a few pegs." Hide laughed.

"Akira's a good person, I can't take that from her, but she can never surpass my Kaneki." Kenzo and Reye exchanged glances and smiled.

"The gauntlet has been thrown, gentlemen."Kenzo said. Hide leaned back in his chair.

"Okay, Amon. Give it your best shot."


	5. Chapter 5

Hide smiled at his beloved Kaneki. The ghoul stood at his side, silently. Just behind them, the iconic tower and bright blue sky created a picturesque view.

"Today, two hearts will be joined forever in the bonds of marriage. As I understand it,you've both written your own vows to each other." The man in front of them said. "At this time, I'd invite you to read them, we'll start with you,Hide" Hide briefly glanced down at the paper in his hand.

"Kaneki, when I first saw you, I knew that you would be an important part of my life. I didn't quite understand how at the time,but I knew there 's something special about you. It was almost like..I knew we needed each other. You keep telling me that I'm your rock and that you need me. What you don't see is that I need you just as much. How can I put this… If the beating of my heart was a drum, you'd be the rhythm it's looking for. You have always been everything to me. I promise to always protect you,to love you completely and unconditionally. I will stand by you. I will always be there to remind you of just how beautiful you are and I will never let you fall. Unfortunately, as much as I want to, I know I won't be able to give you everything you want in life, but I will promise to make sure you have everything you need..until forever ends. I say that because..most people say til death, but if there's something after this life, When we both get there, I hope that our love would be strong enough to last beyond our time here and into the next existence. I'll always be here in good times and bad no matter what. I will cherish you, take care of you and be at your side through whatever life may throw at us." Hide folded the page, placing it in his jacket pocket.

"Kaneki, if you would, please read yours" The ghoul drew in a breath before glancing at his own paper.

"Hide, I never thought I'd find someone that could love me. Someone who really knows me with all my flaws and imperfections of which there are many and still be so willing to stand with me. Through my life, I've been shattered. Like a puzzle that's missing it's pieces, always incomplete you showed me how beautiful a puzzle can be even if parts were missing. You taught me that I could be loved and you gave a reason to keep going, you gave me something to believe in. You became more than just a best friend to me, you're my rock, my safe place, my home. I promise to always love you,to support you, to be someone you can depend on and to be the kind of husband you can be proud of. you'll always know how much you mean to me. You take my hand and shield me when I can't handle things and I really hope there is something after this because I couldn't imagine even an afterlife without you. We have to face the fact, my entire world would fall apart without you. You hold me together. " Kaneki paused, wiping away a tear from his eyes.

Hide grinned.

"It'll be awesome...you know what that means don't you, we'll be ghost husbands,floating around, scaring the crap out everyone..." Kaneki chuckled.

"It's little things that..." Kaneki laughed. "But I do want you to know that you're my world and I love you so much."

"Hide, place the ring on Kaneki's finger please." The man instructed. Hide took the small object from his pocket and slid it onto the ghoul's hand.

"Kaneki, please place the ring on Hide's finger." Kaneki did as he was told.

"Wonderful, you have pledged your hearts and lives to each other, for eternity...and beyond . It's my pleasure to pronounce you both married. You may kiss your husband." Hide pulled Kaneki close to him, pressing his lips to the ghoul's.

"Did we really just do that?" Kaneki asked, resting his forehead against Hide's.

"Yeah. You're stuck with me now...not that you weren't before but...you're even more stuck now."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Kaneki said softly.

"That was beautiful." Akira said, turning to Amon. "We should write our vows."

"What did you get me into, Nagachika?" Amon grumbled, glaring at Hide.

"Sorry." Hide replied, feeling Kaneki rest his head on his shoulder.

"They have a strange way of doing things in France."Reye commented. "When we got married they used our first names. He called Hide by his first-"

"I dropped Ken." Kaneki replied. "When we went to get the paperwork for the wedding. Not many people call me that and honestly I've never been fond of it. Officially my name is Kaneki Nagachika. I think it sounds better anyway. More interesting at least."

"We went back and forth on it at first." Hide added " I told him to do whatever made him happy but asked him to give some thought to taking my last name. It doesn't matter to me if he changed his or kept it the same and added mine, because He's still my Kaneki. Whatever he calls himself, he's my heart."

"That's real cute." Reye said shaking his head. "Almost makes you sick. He teased.

"Yeah. Thanks for bringing it in." Amon shot a sideways glance to the newlyweds.

"Koutarou,don't blame them. Think about it for a minute. Wouldn't it be more personal and intimate if we came up with our own promises to each other, I'm interested in seeing what you come up with." The blonde woman turned to Hide and Kaneki.

"Did you two know what the other was going to say?" Kaneki shook his head.

"We decided it should be a surprise. Hide thought it would be more romantic that way and I have to say, it was. He definitely put a lot of thought into it. It means everything to me because I know that every word is true. That's the way to start life together, giving each other all the words you have in your heart for them."

Amon stood from his chair with a sigh.

"I appreciate you all giving up your day off to help out, but we should get started." Reye nodded.

"What's the plan, Boss?"

"With the wedding only months away, we need to move quickly. We split into two groups, group one is with Akira, we're meeting a few more people later this afternoon. We'll meet up here later. Akira and I be keeping in touch and we'll report on our progress. The teams depend on Eye-"

"Kaneki." Hide reminded sternly.

"Right, old habits." Amon replied. "My apologies, Kaneki."

"Kaneki," Akira said. " You and I have built something of a strange friendship. I'm grateful for it. You've become the closest friend I have, I'd like to take you with me. I believe your honesty will be an asset in today's activities. We'll be meeting with Ai and Cana, you've met them briefly."

"With your permission, I'd like to take Hide with me. Reye and Misora will be with us. I promise you'll have him back this evening." Amon said. Kaneki looked to his husband with concern.

"It's going to be okay. I have my phone, and the battery pack to keep it charged. You brought yours, right?" The ghoul nodded.

"You call me if you need to, but I think this will be good for us." Hide said, reaching out to Kaneki. "I love you, but we have to get over this. It's just gonna drive us crazy. Remember talking about that?"

"Yeah. I know that sometimes we're going to have to be apart, it's still really hard." Hide kissed his forehead lovingly.

"I know it is. I'm coming back to you. It's not like it was that night, Kaneki. It's a better, happier situation and we got this." Kaneki tightened his grip on Hide, resting his head on the blond human's shoulder.

"Okay." The ghoul murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You can go."

"You're good with-"

"No. But I'll try to be. "

"Hey, look at me." Hide requested softly. Kaneki lifted his head to meet his gaze. "I'm so proud of you." The human pressed his lips to Kaneki's briefly before the two pulled away.

"You go help Akira, have some fun while you're at it, okay, for me?"

"I'll try...for you." Kaneki confirmed.

"There's one more thing we need to ask from you two." Amon added.

"Sure. what is it?" Hide asked.

"Akira and I have been thinking, like she said, the four of us have developed a friendship over the course of Kaneki's sickness and working with you both so closely on our project, Hide, I'd appreciate it if you would stand in as best man." Akira bowed her head.

"I always thought that when I got married, my father would be there to walk me down the aisle. Unfortunately, he's not here. I know it's asking a lot, but Kaneki, if you could step in and take on that responsibility, as well as being...the one to help me plan everything, I'd consider it a personal favor and-"

"Of course.'kaneki answered. "Anything we can do to help." guilt gripped his heart as he thought of how painful it must have been for her. Akira embraced him.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. He could sense that it was going to be a long process, but he couldn't possibly refuse.


End file.
